Days With You
by eggraffiti
Summary: Featuring a lost boy and an equally, but not in the same way, lost girl. Link x Paya FLUFF ZONE
1. preface

_The young man soothes his mottled pink horse as he gently tugs the reins, gazing up as they pass the first wooden archway on the path to Kakariko. The horse slows, and Link takes advantage of the relaxed pace to pick the leaves out of his hair, souvenirs from when the roaming horseback bokoblins had startled his horse right into a low hanging tree._

 _The torches are more populous now, revealing the moss covered path that winds down and out of sight. The dark shapes of houses can be seen scattered around, but their details elude him, as the sky is dark tonight, courtesy of the new moon. The evening's sounds surround him, wooden chimes clunking softly against each other, leaves rustling as the breeze rolls in from behind him, the faint pattering of running water, all seeming to fall into rhythm with the soft thuds of his horse's hooves. The minute swaying of his saddle and the tranquil ambience remind Link how weary he is; his eyelids feel heavy._

 _They pass several more houses, and Link admires their complex wooden design, high roofs, and elevated construction through half-lidded eyes. When the path opens up into a small clearing, Link brings the horse to a stop._

 _A white-haired man leaning on a spear seemingly guards the base of a staircase leading up to a house obscured by the night. Seems like the obvious place to find Impa, but Link's tired shoulders convince him to silently tug his horse along to what appears to be an inn on the other side. The guard doesn't notice him, and a closer inspection reveals his dozing face accompanied by gentle snores. Link snorts to himself, I can relate._

 _Movement on his left brings his attention to the small pond lit by torches. At the center is a small statue with a woman pulling herself up to stand before it. She grants the statue one last bow before turning around; Link quickly urges his horse forwards so she won't spot him. At the front of the inn, he turns for one more curious glance at the woman. She yawns as she slowly steps up the wooden stairs, before disappearing into the night, and Link wonders why anyone would deliberately stay awake until this hour._


	2. LINGER

Humming alongside the the birdsongs really helps pass the time, so much so that she doesn't even realize she's come full circle already. The entrance doors a few feet away are a reassurance that her chores are almost over. This morning she'd woken early with the intention of meditating by the shrine in the afternoon.

Feeling inspired, Paya hurriedly scrubs at the remaining floor boards, resuming her random strings of humming. Maybe in the evening she'll go up to the forest to pick mushrooms for some stew, which somehow, her grandma hasn't gotten tired of eating. Every week, she insists she's been craving it, but Paya thinks she's just missing her sister, who successfully takes her experimenting into the kitchen, particularly when it comes to fungi.

Her anticipation is dampened when she hears the distant rumble of thunder, and an uncharacteristic groan slips out before she can stop it. The last few wipes to the doors are lacking their former enthusiasm, and in her disappointment she misses the head of golden hair bouncing up the stairs until its owner stops in front of her.

"…A man?!" He's young, around her age perhaps. His loose, frayed shirt falls a bit too short, prominent hip bones revealing his lean frame. Her eyes are drawn to the glowing object at his waist. Is that—"It's…a Sheikah Slate!"

The revelation brings her to her feet. "Could you be the hero my grandmother told me about?" Oh, his face is something out of a childish fairytale; the stranger tilts his head in confusion, and suddenly it's hard to keep her thoughts coherent. "What was his name? Li…Lin…Ummm…" Her cheeks burning, and she quickly looks away. "Oh, it's not that I forgot…I'm just bad with speaking. As for me, my name is Pa…Paaa…Paaay…" She nearly runs away in her embarrassment, but one more glance at the man's handsome face reveals a compassionate expression, so she clenches her fists and braves onward.

"My name is Paya!"

Relief from success slackens her hands and relaxes her throat. "I know I should be able to say that easily, seeing as how it's my own name and all…" She can see her outburst startled him, and the ability to meet his gaze is lost again. "I'm so…sorry." Her voice slowly begins to trail off. "…my grandmother's been awaiting your return ever since I was little. Plea…please hurry inside…"

As soon as the words are out, Paya sprints down the stairs, frantically praying the hero forgets the exchange ever happened.

* * *

The rain doesn't take too long to make its way to the village, so the porch of the inn is her shelter while she waits for the young man to exit her home. Paya sits cross legged, watching the door for any movement. The storm drags on, but she's unable to enjoy it as she keeps reliving those awful thirty seconds at the top of the steps.

What does he even think of her now? How will she ever be able to look him in the eye, or even stand in the same room?! And the way she'd just stumbled over her words! How disappointing to have it resurface after so many years in front of the CHAMPION OF HYRULE.

Dropping her head back against the wooden beam of the inn, she groans loudly, hoping to expel the ridiculous shame plaguing her thoughts.

"Paya?" The voice at her left startles her heart into her throat as she scrambles up against the wall behind her.

"Oh h—hey, Ollie. I'm sorry if I'm being a bother, I was just…" An excuse to explain why she's sitting on his porch in the middle of the day eludes her, so she just shrugs.

"You're not a bother at all, but…I just think there's probably something better you could be doing with your time…" A yawn interrupts his advice. "Uhh…well what do I know. I'm going to pick something up from Mellie's, so you're welcome to stay there I guess…see ya." The innkeeper trots off, holding his bamboo rain hat against his head.

Once Ollie is out of sight, the solace that was a comfort before, now only adds to the pit in her stomach. Might as well get this over with, right? Paya hops up and off the wooden platform, lightly jogging towards the elevated house.

* * *

"Grandmother?" When Paya enters the house, the elderly woman is alone, but her face is sporting the widest grin Paya has ever seen. She outstretches her arms, beckoning Paya towards her. Where did he go?

"Our hope has returned to us, Paya! The hero has awoken to free Zelda and bring peace back to Hyrule!" Impa crushes Paya's face against her chest, letting out a joyous laugh. "They were right! Purah and Robbie! The shrine kept him alive all this time…oh princess…so strong…" Her grandmother rocks her around, praising the gods, chanting mantras of hope.

"I've never seen you so happy, grandma. Is he truly the chosen royal champion?"

"He is! He will free the Beasts and Ganon will finally fall!" Her laughter spreads to Paya, and the two of them rejoice together, the rain pattering against the roof of the house, as if the sky itself is crying tears of joy.

* * *

The moon is overhead, the clouds finally cleared, the smell of rain in the air. The wake of the storm has briefly changed the landscape, leaving scattered patches of grass that resemble small swamps for the frogs to hop in. Fallen leaves litter the creeks, making the small waterfalls appear green and yellow. Paya's favorite product of the rain however, is the shrine.

The goddess statue looks surreal as it stands in the mirror of the flooded pond. Someone has lit the torches, and the flames join their amber reflections in the water to create an ethereal glow around the small monument. Every time a drop of water falls from the tree above, the whole upside down world ripples, further accentuating the effect.

From up on the balcony of her grandmother's house, Paya watches the droplets for so long, she is startled when her head falls heavily against her shoulder. It must be fairly late, and she hasn't even thanked the deities yet.

The soft pads of feet against wet wood turn her attention behind her.

"M—master Link! I thought you'd left…"

He studies her for a moment before abruptly smirking. "No, you did. Will you make a break for it this time?" His lighthearted tone makes it clear the words are a joke, but Paya still feels the heat rising on her face. He laughs warmly, and her heart skips a beat. "Sorry. Maybe that was a little unfair. I just thought it was amusing…how you just ran like that. I told myself you must have realized you had something very important to do."

Despite the humiliation she feels, Paya laughs at the idea. "I…think that sounds better than the actual reason." The smile she receives encourages her to liberate the words on the tip of her tongue, and the following conversation is surprisingly pleasant.

He was at the shrine, he tells her, raising dozens of questions about its secrets, all of which he is keen to answer. She shows him the flooded pond she admires, and he agrees; it's striking. He admits that the rain can be pleasant from time to time. She insists that it always is.

He asks her about her tattoo, the townspeople, the frog statues. Talking to him feel so effortless, and personal, even though all her answers and questions are hardly a few words long.

He says he saw her praying last night.

"You were here?" Paya is certain the blush has returned to her cheeks.

"I stayed at the inn. It was very late." Oh. "Don't you get tired?"

"Ah…I lose track of the time…before I know it the moon has sunk behind the mountains." He huffs in amusement, his eyes twinkling as he gazes at the pond below. "Master Link…you…" The eyes are on her, and even in the dimmed light of the moon, she has to fight the desire to lose herself the deep sapphire hue. "Y—y-you're different than what I expected. N—not in a bad way. I just thought…a knight for the royal family…I thh—thought you'd be less…" The word she's looking for refuses to surface, so she reaches for the next best thing, "Approachable." Paya shakes her head. "No no…that's not it…I don't know really…"

"I don't quite know how I should be either."

"Huh?"

"I don't have any memories of my life before I awoke in that shrine. All I have now is what I've needed learn to survive, and a responsibility to destroy an evil I don't remember anything about, to save a land unknown to me." The uncertainty in his voice stirs up the courage Paya wants in that moment. She needs to help him!

"M—maybe that's a good thing."

He looks at her curiously, before settling into a grim expression. "Your grandmother says the same thing, but I'm not so sure. I don't know what I'm fighting for."

"Well…you don't have expectations for what you have to be or what you have to do. In a way, you're free." The young man's brow furrows slightly as he watches her, possibly contemplating her words. "You had a whole new world to distract you upon your wake, but you made your way here, maybe just to have something to do…or looking for a purpose. And you found one. One that will improve all our lives if you make it to the end. And you chose the path for yourself. Now you can stand by it…and…and I think that's a better resolve than anything."

The curious expression is back on his face, leaving Paya wondering why she ever opens her mouth.

"You have a good way of looking at things."

"I—I…I do?"

"Yes. I appreciate it."

"…as long as you d—don't give up on Ganon, I will always s-sup—port you…Master Link." Her heart pounds in her ears; she wonders if he can hear it as loudly as she does. She feels…strange. Maybe lightheaded.

He nods at her once, a slight smile tugging at one side of his mouth, and Paya quickly drops her gaze.

Has she always found it so difficult to interact with young men? In her defense, it's not as if she's had many opportunities to hone the skill, living in an isolated town in the mountains.

The events following the Calamity left the Sheikah a broken people; all but a few took their fractured families to this sanctuary to grow old and pass. The ones closest to her age now are still learning how to read and write.

Kakariko is all she's ever known; her travels beyond the town occurred far too early in her life for her to remember. Sure, at a certain age she's had her crushes, usually on young traders who've make her laugh or sold to her at bargain prices. Her childhood friend, Hila, had found her partner that way, and made no hesitation to leave her brother and grandfather behind to run the inn on their own.

Since then, Paya has considered leaving herself. To travel, explore, meet new people…but the desire has never prevailed over her curiosity for the shrine, and the heirloom, and the still many stories her grandmother has yet to tell her. That, and she is deathly afraid of running into the Yiga.

"Do you think your grandmother would let me stay here tonight?" Link breaks the silence, and then rubs his head sheepishly. "I spent the last of my rupees on arrows…"

"In…side? Umm…well…she wouldn't say nn—n—no to you. I could help y—you…need to f-find the old cot…it's somewhere…"

"Thank you, Paya." She's rewarded with a warm smile, to which she can only furiously nod, mouth clamped shut. "I'll ask her now." The hero lifts his equipment off the floorboards and reaches for the door; he expresses his gratitude once more, and Paya follows him inside, red up to the tips of her ears.

* * *

He's gone by the time she wakes up, a realization that is really quite expected when she rushes down the stairs the next morning. With a brief frown and huff of disappointment, Paya sets about her daily routine, thinking it'd really be nice if he visited again soon.


	3. PIECES OF WHAT

"Alright! Here you go!" the shopkeeper bubbles as Link places a purple rupee on the counter. "Tailored to your measurements exactly! Oh, except for an inch or two. You're so young, I figured it'd be good to leave some growing room." Link gingerly takes the folded piece of smooth cloth she hands him. "It should still fit fine. The material is a bit elastic."

He nods his thanks as he backs away, keen to get into his new purchase. Once outside, he heads for the clearing with the strange rock formation, his go-to spot when he wants some privacy in Kakariko.

It's a fairly windy day, so Link seats himself against the tree where the gusts can't reach him, taking time to examine the fabric in his hands, observing how it moves against itself, running a thumb over the armored shoulders and sides. The magenta Sheikah symbol is a stark contrast to the blue that ties the whole set together.

Eagerly, Link pulls the leggings, loose armor pieces, and mask he'd acquired yesterday morning out of his rucksack. After a few minutes of wriggling and slight tugging, he stands at the base of the tree examining his limbs, stretching to test the fabric.

He bends over to collect his scattered clothing, halting mid-way at a pungent smell. He grimaces, tentatively lifting the champion's tunic to his nose—

"Shit!" he spits out, recoiling from the stench. He's been running around smelling like **this**? _How embarrassing._ Does he reek like that now? Link raises his arms to take a whiff—nope. All he smells is the earthy, wooden smell of the shop he bought these clothes from. How can he smell relatively normal, yet his clothes stink like lizfalo?

Deciding not to question it, Link picks up his belongings, taking care to hold his foul-smelling clothes away from his body.

He doesn't recall seeing any water troughs in town; hopefully he can find something similar to the communal basins in Hateno so he can scrub the odor off. Unfortunately, a quick search turns up no leads, so he sets off to find someone to help him.

He takes the stairs three at time, halting at the top just in time to avoid crashing into an oblivious Paya, who's currently fiddling with the hinge of a window shutter.

"Paya! I really need—"

"M-master Link!" the girl yelps, hands flying to her chest. "Please…please don't sneak up on me like that…" He apologizes, expressing that it wasn't his intention to startle her.

"It's okay…I-I see you've bought Claree's prized set. It...it s-s-suits you…"

"Ahh…thanks. But listen, I need some assistance." He shoots a look at the pile of clothes he officiously left at the base of the stairs; Cado is giving it plenty of space. "How do you wash your clothes in the streams? The walls are so high…"

"Most of us h-have roped buckets to draw up the water. Or…there's a waa-w-water wheel behind Mellie's house that pulls it out of the river. You can use that…I'll even lend you a bucket! If-if that's okay with you…"

"Of course!"

Across the bridge, behind Mellie and Olkin's home, Link rolls his new leggings up to his knees before stepping into the small pond created by the runoff from the water wheel. Yikes, it's cold. He moves forward, stepping in deep enough to submerge the bucket completely underwater; he then hauls the full container out of the pool and onto the most level part of the slope, squatting next to it with a huff. A shadow moves in front of him, snuffing out the reflective glare on the water, and Link looks up to see Paya holding out a worn block of soap.

"You can k-keep this...it's made with river clay, so w-washing clothes is a lot smoother," the girl mumbles, bouncing her hand to indicate he take the gift.

"Thank you." She nods once before crouching down across the wooden pail, face resting on her hands as her eyes dart nervously in all directions but his.

After frothing up the water, Link gets to work, rubbing the clothes against each other, occasionally lathering some resilient spots with the soap bar. Mere minutes of the effort leave his already sore arms aching, a sentiment he expresses with an irate groan. Paya doesn't react, opting to silently watch him work. He wonders why she's still here.

"Grandmother says you managed to appease Vah Medoh," Paya blurts out, just as he opens his mouth to break the silence.

"Oh, yeah. How does she know? I haven't stopped by yet…" Link ponders aloud; to this, Paya giggles a bit.

"If you remembered her, you'd know not to be surprised."

"Really? Why?"

"She was an elite guard for the royal family for decades. Intelligence was a necessary skill." She says it with a side glance, wearing a timid, but proud smile. Link raises an eyebrow, trying to picture the tiny, frail, old woman slinking around in the night, a sword on her back. Or maybe she preferred daggers?

"I can't imagine it."

"Neither can I." They laugh, shortly falling into easy conversation.

"What is the Beast like?" she asks.

"Immense! But magnificent. I felt...humbled, to be in the presence of something so powerful. Perhaps it doesn't have it's own thoughts or will, but that doesn't change the fact that it's alive, by some great force I don't understand."

He hears Paya take in an awed breath. "Wow...that's...how? How did you do it? Calm it down?"

"The Beast was possessed by an incarnation of Ganon, a blight. It had poisoned the Beast from the inside, and trapped the spirit of Revali in its core."

"He's been in there for all these years? How awful…"

Yeah. Link gazes off for a moment, briefly grateful he can't remember the tragedy that befell the champion, only the victory that granted him freedom. "It's alright now. He's no longer a prisoner. The blight is defeated and the Rito village is safe."

"W-were you hurt, Master Link?"

"No…not critically. The monster was intimidating, yes, but predictable." He shrugs to ease her concern. "The only lasting pain is the soreness in my arms, from holding onto my paraglider for so long."

"Oh. That's good…" she trails off. "And thank you! For risking your life!" she suddenly exclaims with a bow of her head, red ears peeking out from behind her hair. It seems she has a habit of bursting out with her thoughts; it's endearing.

He accepts her thanks politely, and they once more settle into silence until Link is satisfied with his labor.

On his feet again, he begins to wring out his trousers, letting the excess water fall back into the bucket. He apologizes when some of the back splash hits her arms, but she laughs it off, shifting to sit safely near his belongings.

After draining his pants as much as he can, Link lays them out on the stony ledge to dry in the sun. He turns back to repeat the process with his tunic, but is amusedly stopped by Paya's curious wriggling around his Sheikah slate.

"I don't mind, you know." The girl jumps and immediately tries to apologize in a flustered string of stammered words. "Honestly," he insists.

"Y-you're sure?"

A nod and a return to his clothes-wringing grant her permission, and she tentatively reaches over to pick up the slate.

"Wow...what is it made of?"

Link shrugs. "Not sure. It feels like stone, but—"

"It's much lighter than I expected."

"Exactly. I hardly ever notice its weight." He watches her run a finger along the grooves on the top. "Those are buttons. Uhh, the first is the map, the second is the runes, the third...I'm not sure how to explain, and the last is the camera."

"Camera?" she inquires with a tilt of her head.

"That's what it's called. It can take images of anything, in the exact likeness as you or I would see it."

Paya's mouth remains agape as she waves the slate around, marveling at the technology. "It's like glass! You can see right through it." She flips the slate around, examining its opaque backside. "How…?"

"The button on the corner lets you take the picture. And then, if you touch the circle on the front there, you can see the ones I've taken before."

"This is...wow! Do you see this? The water wheel...if I move away, it stays put on the...this is incredible…" Link chuckles, content to see someone express nearly identical reactions to his first experience with the slate after Hateno. He lets her fiddle with it while he shakes out the wet tunic in his hands, answering her questions, listening to her recite the names of the plants and animals she recognizes. "Ohhh! A grassland fox?...so cute..."

Link finally finishes, facing her while he stretches his arms. "Is there somewhere I can hang these?"

"Hm? Oh! Y-yes, I'll show you."

—

"Koko's Kitchen iiiis...OPEN!" the small Sheikah girl announces with a flourish. "—but, I'm missing ingredients again…" she pouts.

"I think you need to find a more reliable supplier, Koko. This could hurt your business." Link stoops next to the child, dropping his equipment on the ground.

"It's rough, isn't it," she replies, a pensive frown compacting her little face.

He laughs, unsure if she even knows what she means. "It is. Now, what do you need today? I've got some fresh fish from Tabantha."

Koko's face lights up, and she leaps up from her cross-legged musing on the log. "I know exactly what to do!" She flips around, excitedly rummaging around her little basket filled with her supplies, mumbling to herself until she whips around with a handful of ingredients, and then they get to work.

Link fillets the fish while Koko rinses her rice; at some point, Cottla comes around, inquiring about dinner. Koko complains about needing her personal space, and the two comically bicker until the pot's aroma really starts to get good. By then, they're all pressed as close as they can be to the cooking fire, waiting for Koko to deem the dish ready to serve.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link spots Paya routinely making her way to the row's first frog statue.

"Hey! Paya!" The girl's head flits towards him, expression confused. "You think you have time to join us?" The girls chime in to persuade her, and she eventually gives in and walks nervously over to them.

"Paya I made ri...rizz…risotto! Here—" Koko hands her a wooden bowl.

"Hey! You said you'd serve me first!" Cottla whines, but her sister merely shoves her away.

"That was before! Now we have a guest. You gotta be polite, Cott!"

Paya seems to have experience with these matters, as she quickly diffuses the situation, catching Cottla in an embrace, swinging her away before she can lunge at her sibling.

"Now, now girls. It doesn't matter who gets served first. We'll all wait to eat at the same time, okay?" She brushes a loop of hair behind the young girl's ear, relaxing her enraged look.

When they're all sat, warm bowls of rice and salmon in their laps, Cottla starts a countdown. "3…2…1…EAT!"

The girls' competitive feasting is contagious, and Link finds himself wolfing down his food as fast as he can, Paya scolding the girls in the background. He takes his second serving at a much slower pace, savoring the flavors.

"Y-you sure were hungry, Master L-Link," Paya notes as he reaches for the pot a third time.

He shrugs sheepishly. "I have a hundred years of eating to make up for."

Bringing her hand up to her face, Paya stifles her laughter before swallowing. "Understandable. But maybe save some for their father...?" She laughs again, and he grins in agreement.

"We did good, I think. This is called a success, right Link?" Koko suddenly nudges him.

"You bet it is. Stocking issues aside, I think your business is safe." The young girl joyfully throws a fist in the air, bouncing back to her spot on the log to finish stuffing her face.

"Master Link, you made this?" Paya asks.

"Hardly. All I did was bring the fish."

"I see. Regardless, it is very good."

"I agree. Cooking is easy. I know what to do, how to put everything all together, but I haven't really mastered seasoning, unlike Koko. I never pass up an opportunity to eat her food."

"She really has become very talented." Paya smiles, glancing over where the two sisters are busy packing up Koko's basket. "A lot more than I was at her age. She's always been so determined to take care of her dad and her sister, since the day her mother…mm. I-I shouldn't be talking about this…" she trails off. "Here, I'll take that." Paya brightens up, gesturing at his empty bowl. He hands it to her, mulling over what just happened in his head.

It's understandable that she'd wish to not trust an outsider with seemingly sensitive affairs, even more so with something that isn't even about her, so he lets it go. A surfaced desire to gain her trust surprises him however. She seems to be a truly sincere person, and she's helped him time and time again. Link's been awake for nearly five weeks, and for a guy with no memories, befriending a genuine person is significant.

"I've recovered some of my memories," he tells her as they walk across the clearing to the shrines.

"Oh? How much do you remember?" Her eyes meet his for once, instead of shyly watching the ground; they're a deep crimson.

"Not that much. Just some bits and pieces that don't seem to really relate to each other." The sun is sinking behind the tall pillars surrounding the village, stray beams of blinding, golden light piercing the landscape, making him squint. "I remember Revali…and the Princess." Link hears Paya's breath catch in her throat. "Not everything of course…but it seems I wasn't very well liked."

"I'm sure that can't be the case," she finally comments. "Your memories are incomplete, that's all."

"I hope so…but I'm not sure. The person I am in my memories…isn't at all familiar. What if I wasn't that great a hero? That great a man?" They pause at the edge of the bridge to the shrine, and he turns to her, not expecting the pained expression she's watching him with.

"The past is behind you, M-master Link. You don't have to be the person you were before. You can be better. Besides, my grandmother has never had anything other than praises to say about you…and…I…I also th-think…you're…" If she says something after, Link can't catch it, not with her head below her shoulders, words barely a whisper.

"You seem to always be prepared with something wise and profound to say, Paya." He laughs to hide his appreciation, and she nervously joins him.

"It's one of the few ways I can help you on your path, Master Link."

The sun has disappeared completely by now, leaving an indigo sky to wake the restless crickets. He takes a step back.

"Well, I think it best to leave you to your duties. Pray the night away, o' guardian of the Sheikah!" Link regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth. "Not that…I hope it doesn't sound like…I'm not mocking you, I swear!" He groans, then mutters an apology, bracing himself to meet her disappointed gaze; he's met with laughter instead.

"There are worse titles to have. I'll try to honor this one the best I can."

Relieved, he grins, says farewell, and starts his jog up Kakariko's slopes, intent on visiting the Great Fairy before he leaves.

At the top of the hill, he stops, turning back to give the white-haired girl one last glance.


End file.
